Misconceptions
by TrainxEve-Fan12
Summary: The Avatar and the Rich Girl have more in common then they'd like to admit. Korrasami Frienship.


"Korra, someone's here to see you."

When the young Avatar first heard Jinora's words, her first thought was that it was either Mako or Bolin, come to either offer some reassurances (which she'd brush off but be grateful for inside) or bug her about missing so much practice (which she'd act like she'd brushed off and be angry at inside). But as her visitor walked up the steps to the area where Korra trained, she was surprised to see not Mako or Bolin or even Tarlokk or the chief, but Asami.

She fought back her initial stab of dislike and anger, forcing a deadpan expression onto her face. "Hi, Asami. What's up?"

"Do you mind me visiting? I would have called or sent a messenger first, but…" _but I didn't think you'd let me come. _ "Anyway, is this okay?"

_No._ "Sure."

Asami sat down on the steps, motioning for her to sit next to her. Korra obliged walking next to her, but didn't sit. Asami's face fell a fraction of an inch but then reformed, hiding her disappointment well. There was a long silence at the two stared at the sunset, Asami absently playing with her hair and Korra with the bottom on her shirt. It wasn't awkward, per se, but neither was it comfortable.

Finally, Korra said, "Why'd you come visit?"

Asami jolted up as though she'd forgotten about her. "S-sorry," she said quickly, but offered no more. Korra was about to lose her patience and snap at her, when Asami asked her suddenly, "Are you okay?"

This time, Korra flinched. Tenzin had asked her that, and she hadn't answered. Bolin and Mako had _not _asked her that, which hurt a little. In their defense, she had been skipping practiced, which might be pissing them off, and she hadn't exactly told them that she was so stressed. Still, she had offered to help Mako find Bolin without a second thought. She just felt a little used.

So, no, she was not okay.

But she didn't say any of this. She just shrugged her shoulders and said, "Yeah."

Asami nodded slowly, thoughtfully, and then dropped her head. "You're lying."

Korra was taken aback. How dare this prissy princess girl call her a liar, even if it was true! "No, I'm not!"

"Yeah, you are." Asami shook her head. "It's no good, to hide when you're not okay. Then you get more stressed and more stressed and more stressed until …" her hands, until then resting on her lap, went outwards abruptly, forming slowly lowering jazz hands, "you explode. And that's no good."

Korra rolled her eyes, wondering when in the world Miss Princess had ever been stressed out enough to know anything about that. Still, it was nice that she cared. Sort of. "First of all, I'm fine. Second of all, why do you even care if I'm stressed or not?" _And why do you, some girl I barely know and don't even like, care enough to ask when my best friends don't?_

"Because Mako and Bolin care about you." Korra's eyes widened. "They're both worried out of their heads."

"Then why couldn't they come and tell me themselves?" Korra said quietly. She hadn't meant to. She flinched.

"Mako's…afraid. That he'll do something…that he would…that he'd regret." Asami looked away, opening her mouth as though to speak, and then closing it. She was trying not to be hurt, not to be jealous. Not to betray her emotions. Korra flinched. She knew why. He'd told her. She wished he hadn't, that it had remained a romantic secret between just them, but it had never been romantic, had it? And Mako wasn't a liar.

"And Bolin?"

"He won't if Mako won't. He feels like he'd be betraying him, or something."

"Oh."

Neither spoke for a long time. Korra was grateful for this long silence. It gave her time to sort her thoughts, to not burst out and yell something she'd regret. Asami finally said, "So, don't be afraid to talk…to me, I mean…if you need to talk to someone about how you're feeling. I…I understand."

Korra couldn't help but chuckle, just of short exhale with a little too much force. Asami's face didn't change, but her eyes did. She had beautiful, expressive eyes. "How could you...?" Korra mumbled, letting the sentence dwindle into nothing.

"What?"

"Nevermind."

"Tell me. What?"

Korra sighed. "It's nothing, really." She expected her to insist some more on knowing, although she couldn't be so stupid as to not get it at all, right? Mako wouldn't date a girl _that _dumb.

"People try to take advantage of me."

Korra jerked at this sudden, matter-of-fact statement. She looked back at Asami, who stared ahead, not looking at her. "What?"

"People use me. For connections, for yuans. To get to my father." She looked forward, stone-faced. Suddenly, she whipped her head to look at Korra, expression fierce and unyielding and angry and sad and strong and challenging, all at once. No mask, no hiding, no secrets. Completely unguarded, maybe a little scared by it. "I've never, ever had a real friend besides Bolin and Mako, because everyone just wants me for my things, for what I can get them. For what I can do for them. No one wants to know Asami Sato, the girl, they all want to know Asami Sato, the daughter of a millionaire, Asami Sato, the rich girl." Korra flinched again. Her voice was so…angry. So betrayed. How many times had she been used? How many times had she been hurt? "I know what it feels like for no one to think of you as a human being, but as some sort of – of…" She trailed off, regaining her control. Her expression smoothly filtered back into serene concern. Korra wished she wouldn't bother. It hurt, making your face tell the world something that was so wrong. "I know,"Asami continued quietly. "I know."

Korra sat down next to her, finally, sick with guilt. How dare she look down on this girl without even bothering to learn about her? How was she any different than the press? Than Tarlokk and the rest of this city? "I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

"No, it's not."

Asami's eyes widened. "I guess…it's not. But I forgive you." She smiled softly, genuine, this time. Then, slowly, hesitantly, like a shy girl during her first day of school, she asked, "So, can we be…friends?"

Korra burst out laughing as much from nerves as from her words, and Asami had not time to reconstruct her mask before letting slip the slightest sign of confused, frightened humiliation; _have I been rejected?_ Korra hastened to fix it, to lighten the mood. "Of course! Best friends forever!" She wrapped an arm around her shoulder, leaning into her, giddy as a drunk, throwing her arms into the sky. "Korra and Asami, best friends forever!" she shouted to the sky. The whole world could hear it. Most importantly, Asami could hear it. Asami laughed loudly, not as feminine, not as prettily as usual, but somehow a million times better for it.

"And we'll be honest with each other? About everything?"

"Yeah," Korra said, unhesitatingly. "Everything."

"Then I'll ask again; Are you okay?"

And this time, she didn't feel the need to lie.

**E/N: I WANT MY KORRASAMI FRIENDSHIP DAMMIT.**

**This was written late at night, and thus probably sucks. :'D I love you?**


End file.
